Alison Odey

If you are conscious of smelly feet, firstly carefully check the feet (including between the toes) for any sign of fungal infection. The skin will often look as if it’s dry and peeling but on becoming moist, such as when encased in footwear, will smell terrible.

Eucalyptus oil applied directly to the affected areas on a daily basis will clear this condition up (tea tree oil can also be excellent, but be careful to make sure that it’s not too strong as it can burn the skin). Be sure to also thoroughly disinfect all socks and footwear and also the bottom of the shower to prevent recurrence.

The New Zealand herb Pseudowintera Colorata or Horopito (Pepper tree) can also be very effective and can be found in several New Zealand made herbal preparations such as ‘Kolorex'(TM) Foot & Toe cream.
In some cases I have also found that the ‘Real Deal Hurt creme’ can also be effective as it contains a high amount of cloves.
These preparations can be ordered from the on-line shop.

Make sure that after every shower or bath the feet are thoroughly dried, especially between the toes.

If this does not appear to be the problem, look to the diet and to the condition of the bowel. A diet high in heavy proteins and a sluggish bowel are a sure combination to produce smelly feet.

Remember that a daily bowel motion does not always mean that the bowel is clean. It is possible for the wall of the bowel to be encrusted so that the body still absorbs toxins. In this situation greatly reduce the amount of heavy protein, especially red meats and cheese, in the diet and increase raw foods and fibres (you may have to add extra fibre in the form of psyllium) to improve digestion and help the bowel move more easily. Increasing oils in the diet will help retain water in the bowel and therefore clean it more effectively. Increasing magnesium will also have this effect. Yoghurt should be eaten regularly.

Aloe vera juice taken daily will help the movement of the bowel and can also help clean away the encrusted faecal matter on the bowel wall.
See pages on  ‘Bowel – improving action’ and  ‘Bowel – what’s normal’.

In many cases where these measures do not bring about the improvements looked for then a more specific probiotic (other than yoghurt) may be needed to correct bowel flora.
See page on Probiotics.

Taking food enzymes with each meal help greatly in making sure that food is digested fully and also greatly assists in cleaning the bowel. See page on  ‘Enzymes – facts’.

In the short term smelly feet may be can be eased by bathing them in cider vinegar and water.